George Patriot Seymore is a globally recognized communications professional and political strategist that provides real world, creative solutions to today’s communication challenges. As the founder and president of Patriot Strategies, a public relations management firm, he navigates Washington, DC, on behalf of his corporate, aerospace, technology, and defense clients.

Seymore provides public relations consulting services to his clients at the highest levels of government and business to achieve their business, policy, political and social objectives. He has led “war room” campaigns and directed the messaging and political strategy operations for Fortune 50 companies, small and mid- sized corporations, non-profits, and coalitions. As one of the nation's most innovative public relations firms, his team of nationally and internationally known professionals deliver on client goals, program implementation and results-oriented analysis.

As a veteran operative in Washington, D.C., Seymore is an expert on the legislative and public affairs process on Capitol Hill. Seymore draws on his 25 years of expertise in civil, commercial, military, and intelligence programs to translate technical language into policy speak - and vice versa. Prior to founding Patriot Strategies, Seymore held various senior political director positions in the U.S. House of Representatives. In his unique positions, he has advised and held key consulting and staff positions on presidential, congressional, and statewide campaigns. Equally important, these positions placed Seymore in direct communication with high profile political figures, Senators and Representatives, top Administration officials, and CEOs and the presidents of major corporations and advocacy organizations.

Right now, Patriot Strategies is at the forefront of the public relations field – advising and assisting a diverse group of clients, including business and political leaders and prominent public and private companies and non-profits in developing and implementing proven public relations programs.

Prior to forming Patriot Strategies, Seymore held a variety of senior legislative positions during his 7- year tenure on Capitol Hill. Seymore served as a senior staff member of the Committee on Appropriations in the U.S. House of Representatives, and primarily on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Additionally, Seymore served on the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, and as a staff member of the House Financial Services Committee, and primarily on the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy. Prior to his official congressional service, Seymore’s first job in Washington was working on the campaign of current U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Maryland).

Born in New York, Seymore claims both New York and Maryland as home. Seymore graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Government & Politics.

As Senior Vice President for Patriot Strategies, Stephen Hofmann consults for major US and foreign businesses in international trade, sustainability, country risk assessment, and business development.  In addition, Hofmann has advised over 25 countries, directly representing them before the US government, international governing bodies, and the commercial sector.  Recognizing the growth of sustainability in the marketplace, Hofmann works to maximize global food production, utilize sustainable materials, and repurpose waste streams for some of the largest companies in the world.  Further, Hofmann is a former elected official and spent over 12 years in government service.  

In 1992, Hofmann created LS Consulting, as a political consulting firm with clients ranging from governors and US senators, to state legislators and mayors.  Between 1989 – 2001, Hofmann served multiple stints as staff in Washington, DC, to several Members of Congress.  Additionally, Hofmann served for 6 years as staff in the Texas Legislature.  In 2002, Hofmann was elected to the City Council in the Washington, DC suburb of Cheverly, MD.

In 2002, Hofmann became Senior Advisor to the Washington, DC, firm of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg.  In this capacity, he served as business strategist, government relations and trade expert for some of the largest companies in the world.  These clients included JC Penney, Sears, Payless, Wal-Mart, Hanes, General Motors, Spalding, Maersk, among others.  Additionally, Hofmann advised senior governmental officials and business leaders in countries including Norway, Egypt, Hong Kong, Turkey, Panama, Bangladesh, and Singapore.  Further, Hofmann was a trade negotiator for export, textile and apparel associations in Africa, Asia, and Central America.  Within the U.S., he has directly consulted for local governments ranging from as large as Miami Dade County to as small as Rio Grande City, Texas.

As 2006 ended, Hofmann left Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg and began diversifying his work to include companies like Waste Management, Tyson Food, and Sam’s Club, on sustainable business practices and products in the supply chain.  Focus on repurposing waste stream materials like plastics, electronics, and styrofoam back into raw material for retail products.  Hofmann is also working with biodegradable plastic mulch for the agriculture industry resulting in 25% increased crop yield and 40% cost savings.

Further, Hofmann secured over $2 billion in government funding for numerous projects and country initiatives.  Hofmann led federal government affairs and trade facilitation efforts with the countries of Costa Rica, Tajikistan, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.  Clients use Hofmann’s expertise to gain market access, maximize trade agreements and open foreign distribution.  

Hofmann has over 8 years of experience working with companies fighting global pandemics ranging from HIV/AIDS to the H5N1 (Bird Flu), traveling the globe to partner companies with affected countries’ health ministries and NGOs.  Primary focus was on gaining government approvals for non-invasive diagnostics exhibiting the highest efficacy, as well as synthetic vaccines and antibody diagnostics.  Hofmann created a symposium, bringing together for the first time, the most senior infectious diseases experts at NIH, CDC, HHS and the WHO to discuss the H5N1 (Bird Flu) before over 80 ambassadors and diplomats.

In summary, Hofmann formulated and jointly managed international trade negotiations for 25 foreign governments and their key industry leaders before the US government, international governing bodies, and major global businesses.  Hofmann is considered an expert in developing and executing efficient strategies for major U.S. and foreign companies through trade maximization, supply chain optimization, sustainability, and direct sales.  

Hofmann is married and has four children and holds a BA in Political Science.  Hofmann is also fluent in English and German.

Daryl Toor, Managing Director, Atlanta - manages the day-to-day operations of the firm's Atlanta office. A former CBS journalist, Toor - is the author of "Get The Word Out! - Marketing to Attract New Business", and is a recognized expert on marketing, Public Relations, Investor Relations, e-mail marketing, search engine optimization and sales lead management.

A frequent contributor to ABC News, CNN Headline News, Forbes, Fox News, NBC News, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, People, Rolling Stone, TIME, USA Today, and Wired magazine, Toor brings more than 20 years of experience to help companies get the word out.

As Sony/Ericsson's marketing director, Toor increased market share 28% and created the global telecommunication giant's first e-commerce initiative on the Web. While directing healthcare marketing for Trion - the leader in healthcare, industrial and residential indoor air quality technology applications - Toor designed revenue generating marketing programs for Honeywell, Sunbeam, Kenmore and Oreck.

As vice president of public relations for one of Atlanta's largest agencies he was responsible for building its $1.2 million PR division. Toor was also the principal spokespeople for Atlanta leading up to both SuperBowl XXVIII and the 1996 Olympic Games and co-founded the Southern International Press Center. A recipient of an Emmy as well as both PRSA Silver and Bronze Anvil Awards, IABC Golden Quill communication awards, his work was nationally recognized for building what is today the nation's largest cruise line -- Carnival Cruise Lines -- and his promotion of the Miami Beach's Art Deco Festival attracted national attention that led to the production of the popular TV show, "Miami Vice." In addition, he launched the Internet's most popular online lotto with a marketing campaign that innovatively used one of the first reality show stars.

In addition, he designed marketing programs for clients such as Macintosh, WebMD, Rent.com, Wolff System Technology, the Port of Miami, the City of Miami Beach, City of Miami, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Precyse Solutions, Fitability Systems, VistaScape Technology, Foodbuy.com, Call Center Technologies,, Medicalbuyer.com, CIMTEK Commerce, HIDAHELP, DistributORDER, Avio, MonsterMillions, The Viva Group, Fiberworks, Thoughtmill, Recoverdebt, Globalmecca.com, and Safedepositbox.

Ned Barnett, Managing Director of West Coast Operations, an honors graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications (home of the prestigious Peabody Awards), has been a leader in the PR/Marketing Communications (Marcom) field since 1973.

He has done extensive work in helping new firms successfully launch their operations - whether this involves entering the highly-distinctive Las Vegas market or launching a new high-tech hardware/software product line for an emerging Silicon Valley giant.

Ned's primary client focus includes the following areas of specialization:

• High-tech software developers and resellers
• Accounting software and accounting-related software resellers
• High-tech hardware and on-demand service providers
• Provider-based healthcare and healthcare product/service providers
• Publishers and authors
• Insurance (workers comp)
• New (start-up) businesses and new (launch) products and services

Primarily, Ned focuses on delivering exceptional services for a wide range of clients.  These services include:

• Public and Media Relations
• Marketing and strategic planning - a key core competency
• Market Research

Other client-based services include:

• Advocacy and Grass-Roots Lobbying and Issues Management
• Investor Relations
• Crisis Management PR
• Non-Profit Fund-raising

Over more than two decades as a PR counsel, Ned has served a growing array of high-end software developers and resellers, high-technology innovators, advocacy groups, transportation service corporations, healthcare facilities, practitioners and businesses, as well as new-business and new-product start-ups, and IPO-bound high-tech clients.

In a 35-year career, Ned has been the C-level PR/Marcom and Strategic Planning executive for hospitals and billion-dollar for-profit hospital companies, trade associations and publishers.

In addition to his work on behalf of for-profit clients, on behalf of public sector and non-profit clients, Ned has worked within the fields of:

• Economic development (South Carolina and Nevada)
• Transportation (South Carolina, /Las Vegas Transit System, and the LA/Vegas High Speed Train)
• Advocacy (public hospitals, colleges, Citizens for a Sound Economy, non-profit drug prevention groups, and the US  Drug Czar among others)
• As a speechwriter for two sitting governors (South Carolina)
• Fund-raising for non-profits (since 1977, probably two dozen NPOs)

In addition, as a Managing Director, he has worked with hundreds of clients in fields ranging from software to resorts, from healthcare to Hollywood, as well as from a rocket fuel manufacturer trying to switch production to auto airbag propellant to start-up websites.  He has worked extensively in the areas of Internet website PR/Marcom, investor relations, market research and strategic/tactical planning, grass roots lobbying, as well as solid, results-oriented PR.

A distinctive sub-specialization has been Ned's involvement with publishing and film/video production.  Ned has developed launch plans for commercial independent Hollywood films and documentary video productions.  He's served as VP/Marketing for three small publishers, and has had nine of his own books published - leading to the development of a Literary services division that provides everything from ghost-writing to literary agent work.  He has co-scripted a Hollywood screenplay currently in development, and has won national awards for non-fiction documentary-style corporate and association films and videos.

Ned was, in 1978, the youngest person ever to earn the coveted APR status from the Public Relations Society of America; and in 1984, he became the first person to earn a Fellowship in PR and Marketing from the American Hospital Association.  He has won two ADDYs, PRSA's coveted Silver Anvil and many other industry awards - and is the only person to ever win four consecutive MacEachern awards for excellence in healthcare PR/Marcom.

Ned has written nine royalty-published books on PR and marketing, and has taught as Adjunct Professor at University of Nevada - Las Vegas and three other colleges and universities. Currently, Ned serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the leading trade journal, PR News, and served on the 2004-2005 Advisory Board for the Experiential Marketing Forum.

But primarily, Ned Barnett focuses on generating measurable, bottom-line results for Patriot Strategies clients.

Alec J. Rosen has nearly 15 years communications experience in both agency and client side environments where he has successfully created and managed public relations, media relations and marketing communications campaigns for a wide range of clients from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms.  His areas of specialization include marketing and branding with an emphasis on business-to-business, consumer marketing and technology.

Prior to joining Patriot Strategies, Alec managed public relations and advertising for Microsoft throughout Latin America. Alec has also held senior executive positions with Edelman Public Relations and Burson-Marsteller.

Alec obtained his BBA in International Management and Marketing from Pace University in New York and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. He has earned a Masters in Arts Certificate in Media Management from the New School University in New York. Alec served in the U.S Navy from 1979-1983, which included two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf region.